Feasting with faith

Where goddess worship meets food, memory, and belonging during Navratri and Durga Puja

- Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay

From West Bengal's grandeur of Durga Puja to Gujarat's vibrant Navratri garbas, and Maharashtra's more intimate bhondla gatherings, each festival celebrates the goddess in distinct ways.

In Bengal, Durga Puja is as much about gastronomy as it is about grandeur. For five days, sprawling pandals welcome visitors with intricate artistry and stalls serving beloved street foods. The bhog at the pandal may be the focal point, but evenings are incomplete without egg rolls, kosha mangsho, fish fries, and mutton ghugni dishes that carry the comfort of home and the joy of indulgence.

For many Bengalis living outside their home state, it is a month of contradictions. In Maharashtra, both bhondla and garba nights enfold with goddess worship, and food-plates free of onion, garlic, and certainly meat. Communities celebrating the puja together find new meanings in these differences.

Tanni Mandal, who has lived in Mumbai for 17 years, cherishes the gatherings at big pandals. "It never feels very away from home because you adapt," she says. "From food to authentic products to shop to band performances, one can really find all sorts of entertainment, and meet friends!"